Govt allows import of urad dal up to 4 lakh tonne

The government has allowed import up to 4 lakh tonnes of urad dal this fiscal only by millers and refiners to boost domestic supply and prevent spike in prices. Earlier, the government had allowed import of urad up to 1.5 lakh tonne for the fiscal ending March 2020.

"Import of urad shall be subject to an annual quota of 4 lakh MT. Import of urad under the quota restriction will be allowed only to the millers/refiners," said a notification issued by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT). The restriction, however, will not apply to the government's import commitments under any bilateral or regional agreements.

India Pulses and Grains Association (IPGA) Chairman Jitu Bheda had demanded relaxation of norms for import of urad dal. Meanwhile, the government has decided to offload 8.47 lakh tonne of pulses from its buffer stock to boost domestic availability and ensure stability in prices.

The Centre has offered 3.2 lakh tonne of tur (arhar), 2 lakh tonne of urad, 1.2 lakh tonne of chana, 1.5 lakh tonne of moong and 57,000 tonne of masoor.